Gallery: Automotive Odditieshttp://www.canada.com/6222698.RSSSome are three-wheeled, some are amphibious and others are just plain ugly or poorly designed. All have led us to ask, "What were they thinking?" Here are Driving.ca's picks for the weirdest cars ever built.en-caCopyright (c) DrivingMon, 01 Apr 2013 14:00:35 ZOdditiesLISTDRVGDRVGNUTF816222698InformTagsOnlyallCars and Car DesignGalleryGallery: Automotive Odditiesphotosresearch-car/news/photos/Gallery: Automotive Oddities/story.html(c) Postmedia Network Inc.tag:www.canada.com:content=6229043http://www.canada.com/cms/binary/6229043.jpgFuller DymaxionFuller Dymaxion. That's Fuller, as in legendary inventor Buckminster Fuller. In 1933, he came out with this 3-wheeled people-mover - steered by the rear wheel. Not exactly the most stable or intuitive design out there. At its debut at the 1933 Chicago World's Fair, it crashed, killing the driver. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Dynamaxion_1933.jpg">Wikimedia Commons photo.</a>Gallery: Automotive OdditiesMon, 23 Apr 2012 14:48:49 Ztag:www.canada.com:content=6228488http://www.canada.com/cms/binary/6228488.jpgCitroen 2CVCitroen 2CV. An iconic postwar French car - and arguably a classic, depending on who you ask. But the 2CV was a bare-bones tin can of an automobile. And ugly. Boy, was it ugly. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Citroen2cvtff.jpg">Wikimedia Commons photo.</a>Gallery: Automotive OdditiesMon, 23 Apr 2012 14:48:47 Ztag:www.canada.com:content=3368859http://www.canada.com/cms/binary/3368859.jpg1966 Peel TridentPeel Trident. Essentially a motorized tricycle encased in a flimsy bubble. Not exactly road-worthy, but...whatever.Gallery: Automotive OdditiesFri, 06 Aug 2010 19:31:27 Ztag:www.canada.com:content=6222790http://www.canada.com/cms/binary/6222790.jpgAMC PacerAMC Pacer. Released at the height of the oil-panicked 70s, the Pacer pretty much set the precedent for all hideous econo-hatches to follow. The only thing cool about it was its starring role in the Wayne's World movies - and even then, we could probably attribute most of its coolness to the flame decals. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:AMC_pacer_082009_D42119.jpg">Wikimedia Commons photo.</a>Gallery: Automotive OdditiesMon, 23 Apr 2012 14:48:44 Ztag:www.canada.com:content=6229196http://www.canada.com/cms/binary/6229196.jpgNissan CubeNissan Cube. As a general rule, a visually appealing car is both symmetrical and aerodynamic. The Cube is neither. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:NISSAN_cube_Z12_rear.jpg">Wikimedia Commons photo.</a>Gallery: Automotive OdditiesMon, 23 Apr 2012 14:48:50 Ztag:www.canada.com:content=6229175http://www.canada.com/cms/binary/6229175.jpg2002-2005 Ford Thunderbird2002-2005 Ford Thunderbird. There have been countless attempts to re-jig old car designs for the 21st century, but few failed as badly as the 2002-05 Ford Thunderbird. The original was an American classic immortalized by the Beach Boys. The remake was a dreadful Boomer-mobile, a blurry caricature of an aging man's childhood nostalgia. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:2002-2005_Ford_Thunderbird.jpg">Wikimedia Commons photo.</a>Gallery: Automotive OdditiesMon, 23 Apr 2012 14:48:50 Ztag:www.canada.com:content=6234903http://www.canada.com/cms/binary/6234903.jpgChevrolet ChevetteChevrolet Chevette. In response to the mid-70s oil crisis, GM proved early on that, along with the other Big 3 automakers, it had either no interest in making decent small cars - or no clue about how to do it. The Chevette was the first warning of what was to come: 30 odd years of misfires in the compact and subcompact segments. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:1977_Chevette_Rally.jpg">Wikimedia Commons photo.</a>Gallery: Automotive OdditiesMon, 23 Apr 2012 14:49:02 Ztag:www.canada.com:content=1444554http://www.canada.com/cms/binary/1444554.jpg1968 King Midget.The King Midget Model III. Some assembly required.Gallery: Automotive OdditiesMon, 30 Mar 2009 16:01:45 Ztag:www.canada.com:content=3368852http://www.canada.com/cms/binary/3368852.jpg1975 TrabantTrabant. East Germany's answer to the lowly Lada, the Trabant featured a series of two-stroke engines all with an output in the range of 20 horsepower. It was basically like driving a lawnmower.Gallery: Automotive OdditiesFri, 06 Aug 2010 19:31:27 Ztag:www.canada.com:content=6229085http://www.canada.com/cms/binary/6229085.jpgDonkervoort GTDonkervoort GT. Ultra-light and bare-bones in design, the Dutch-made Donkervoort GT might be a lot of fun, but it ain't pretty. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:DonkervoortD8GT270.jpg">Wikimedia Commons photo.</a>Gallery: Automotive OdditiesWed, 29 Feb 2012 20:22:49 Ztag:www.canada.com:content=6228519http://www.canada.com/cms/binary/6228519.jpgTucker TorpedoTucker Torpedo. Entrepreneur Preston Tucker had high hopes for his independently-produced sedan, which included such novel safety features as seat belts and - most strikingly - a third headlight that turned with the steering wheel. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tucker.jpg">Wikimedia Commons photo.</a>Gallery: Automotive OdditiesWed, 29 Feb 2012 18:23:16 Ztag:www.canada.com:content=6222760http://www.canada.com/cms/binary/6222760.jpgMesserschmitt KR175Messerschmitt KR175 "bubble car". One-seater, three-wheeled car. Built by an airplane manufacturer, they basically lopped off the wings and called it a car. <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c8/Mivalino_Front-view.JPG">Wikimedia Commons photo.</a>Gallery: Automotive OdditiesTue, 28 Feb 2012 19:06:24 Ztag:www.canada.com:content=6229228http://www.canada.com/cms/binary/6229228.jpgBMW IsettaBMW Isetta. BMW took an earlier, Italian-designed microcar and made it its own. Aesthetically, though, it's a notch above the Messerschmitt. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:BMW_Isetta_300.jpg">Wikimedia Commons photo.</a>Gallery: Automotive OdditiesMon, 23 Apr 2012 14:48:51 Ztag:www.canada.com:content=6228463http://www.canada.com/cms/binary/6228463.jpgChrysler PT CruiserChrysler PT Cruiser. Aiming to harken back to the days of Al Capone and Bonnie & Clyde while remaining new and innovative, Chrysler landed somewhere in between with the PT Cruiser. What we got instead was an ugly semi-throwback that was barely mediocre on a good day.Gallery: Automotive OdditiesMon, 23 Apr 2012 14:48:47 Ztag:www.canada.com:content=6229071http://www.canada.com/cms/binary/6229071.jpgSubaru BajaSubaru Baja. Based on the Outback wagon, the Baja was never really sure what it wanted to be. It wasn't quite a wagon, yet too short to be a pickup or SUV, and it certainly wasn't rugged enough to rival a Jeep. It was, however, 100% ugly. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:SubaruBaja.jpg">Wikimedia Commons photo.</a>Gallery: Automotive OdditiesMon, 23 Apr 2012 14:48:49 Ztag:www.canada.com:content=6222782http://www.canada.com/cms/binary/6222782.jpgReliant RobinThe Reliant Robin. One less wheel in the front - under the engine, mind you - equals infinitely more dangerous transportation. You'd have been foolish to rely on the Reliant Robin to get you somewhere in one piece. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:KIF_0001_reg.JPG">Wikimedia Commons photo.</a>Gallery: Automotive OdditiesTue, 28 Feb 2012 19:11:07 Ztag:www.canada.com:content=6228979http://www.canada.com/cms/binary/6228979.jpgCord1937 Cord 812. Not a bad looking ride, but the Cord featured a major flaw in its engine design. It had an aluminum engine block and steel pistons. In cold weather, you couldn't start it because the pistons were literally stuck (aluminum contracts faster than steel in cold weather). <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:1937_Cord_812.JPG">Wikimedia Commons photo.</a>Gallery: Automotive OdditiesMon, 23 Apr 2012 14:48:49 Ztag:www.canada.com:content=3422997http://www.canada.com/cms/binary/3422997.jpg2011 Nissan Juke Sport CrossA new addition to the what-were-they-thinking file, the Juke is a car with an identity crisis. Is it a family hauler? Is it an SUV? We're not really sure what it is, aside from ugly.Gallery: Automotive OdditiesFri, 20 Aug 2010 16:26:58 Ztag:www.canada.com:content=3368862http://www.canada.com/cms/binary/3368862.jpg1958 Zunndapp Janus1958 Zunndapp Janus. Probably the only two-seater with a back-to-back configuration, doors on the front and back, and the engine somwhere in between. From the look of it, all the Janus really needed was a steering wheel on each side and it would have adhieved perfect symmetry.Gallery: Automotive OdditiesFri, 06 Aug 2010 19:31:27 Ztag:www.canada.com:content=6222740http://www.canada.com/cms/binary/6222740.jpgDeLorean DMC-12DeLorean DMC-12. Made famous by the <i>Back to the Future</a> movies, the DeLorean was unique for its gull-wing doors and stainless steel construction. But a small, underpowered engine virtually ensured that it would never reach the required 88 miles per hour, let alone outpace a Microbus full of Libyan nationals. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:DeLorean_DMC-12_with_doors_open.jpg">Wikimedia Commons photo.</a>Gallery: Automotive OdditiesMon, 23 Apr 2012 14:48:43 Ztag:www.canada.com:content=3368861http://www.canada.com/cms/binary/3368861.jpg1961 AmphicarThe Amphicar. A novel idea that worked out better in theory than practice.Gallery: Automotive OdditiesFri, 06 Aug 2010 19:31:27 Ztag:www.canada.com:content=3368832http://www.canada.com/cms/binary/3368832.jpg2001 Pontiac AztekPontiac Aztek. You have to commend GM for designing the first half-SUV, half-tent. The result wasn't pretty, but at least they saved campers the hassle of having to pitch one themselves.Gallery: Automotive OdditiesFri, 06 Aug 2010 19:31:26 Ztag:www.canada.com:content=3368857http://www.canada.com/cms/binary/3368857.jpg1970 AMC GremlinAMC Gremlin. Like it's sister car, the Pacer, the Gremlin was as ugly as the mythical creature that shares its name. Word is that AMC came up with the Gremlin's design by basically cutting the back off of a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AMC_Hornet">Hornet.</a>Gallery: Automotive OdditiesFri, 06 Aug 2010 19:31:27 Ztag:www.canada.com:content=3368853http://www.canada.com/cms/binary/3368853.jpg1975 Bricklin SV1Bricklin SV1. Canada's entry into the what-were-they-thinking file, the Bricklin was manufactured in New Brunswick, with ample assistance from the provincial government. Oddly, its designers opted to build it out of fibreglass rather than steel.Gallery: Automotive OdditiesFri, 06 Aug 2010 19:31:27 Ztag:www.canada.com:content=3368835http://www.canada.com/cms/binary/3368835.jpg1997 Plymouth ProwlerPlymouth Prowler. Aesthetically, it shared many of the ghastly design cues with its bigger brother, the aforementioned PT Cruiser. Under the hood was an engine that didn't come close to matching its "classic hot-rod" pretensions. No manual transmission, either. Why bother?Gallery: Automotive OdditiesFri, 06 Aug 2010 19:31:26 Z